A purification system is for purifying a mixture containing a first solvent, a second solvent, and an impurity. The purification system includes a first membrane separation device including a pervaporation membrane and a second membrane separation device including a filtration membrane. The pervaporation membrane separates the mixture into a first permeated fluid and a first concentrated fluid. The first permeated fluid has a lower concentration of the impurity than that in the mixture, and the first concentrated fluid has a higher concentration of the impurity than that in the mixture. The filtration membrane separates the first concentrated fluid into a second permeated fluid and a second concentrated fluid. The second permeated fluid has a lower concentration of the impurity than that in the first concentrated fluid, and the second concentrated fluid has a higher concentration of the impurity than that in the first concentrated fluid.

A purification system is for purifying a mixture containing a first solvent, a second solvent, and an impurity. The purification system includes a first membrane separation device including a pervaporation membrane and a second membrane separation device including a filtration membrane. The pervaporation membrane separates the mixture into a first permeated fluid and a first concentrated fluid. The first permeated fluid has a lower concentration of the impurity than that in the mixture, and the first concentrated fluid has a higher concentration of the impurity than that in the mixture. The filtration membrane separates the first concentrated fluid into a second permeated fluid and a second concentrated fluid. The second permeated fluid has a lower concentration of the impurity than that in the first concentrated fluid, and the second concentrated fluid has a higher concentration of the impurity than that in the first concentrated fluid.

An carbon molecular sieve for adsorbing water molecules in an alcohol solution to separate an alcohol from the water molecules, wherein the total volume of pores with an inlet diameter of 0.33 nm or more as determined by a molecular probe method is not less than 3 times the total volume of pores with an inlet diameter of 0.46 nm or more. This carbon molecular sieve is an alcohol concentration material that is capable of efficiently concentrating alcohol without performing a distillation step and that is easily reusable.

A method for purifying a non-aqueous solvent includes: pretreating by passing a non-aqueous solvent for dehydration treatment through a packed bed of an ion exchange resin that is not yet subjected to dehydration treatment, to remove water in the ion exchange resin; and purifying by passing a non-aqueous solvent to be purified through the packed bed of the ion exchange resin from which water is removed during the pretreating, to purify the non-aqueous solvent to be purified, in which the harmonic-mean particle size of the ion exchange resin is 0.20 to 0.50 mm. According to the present application, a method for purifying a non-aqueous solvent can be provided, the method includes pretreating by removing water in a water-containing ion exchange resin by passing therethrough a non-aqueous solvent for dehydration treatment, in which the amount of the non-aqueous solvent for dehydration treatment used during the pretreating is small.

A pervaporation membrane formed on a porous support containing a composition encompassing a polysiloxane, a crosslinker and a catalyst are disclosed and claimed. Also disclosed are the fabrication of membranes which exhibit unique separation properties, and their use in the separation of organic volatiles from biomass and/or organic waste, including butanol, ethanol, and the like.

A pervaporation membrane formed on a porous support containing a composition encompassing a polysiloxane, a crosslinker and a catalyst are disclosed and claimed. Also disclosed are the fabrication of membranes which exhibit unique separation properties, and their use in the separation of organic volatiles from biomass and/or organic waste, including butanol, ethanol, and the like.

The present invention provides a process for recovering glycol from a process stream comprising glycol, water, dissolved salts, and hydrocarbons. The process comprises subjecting the process stream to a salt-enrichment process to obtain a salt-enriched stream having a salt concentration higher than salt concentration of the process stream, and a salt-reduced stream; subjecting the salt-enriched stream to a glycol reclaiming process to separate the salts and at least a portion of the hydrocarbons from the salt enriched stream to obtain a substantially salt-free water-glycol stream; and blending the salt reduced stream from the salt-enrichment process with the substantially salt-free stream to produce a reclaimed water-glycol stream

The present invention provides a process for recovering glycol from a process stream comprising glycol, water, dissolved salts, and hydrocarbons. The process comprises subjecting the process stream to a salt-enrichment process to obtain a salt-enriched stream having a salt concentration higher than salt concentration of the process stream, and a salt-reduced stream; subjecting the salt-enriched stream to a glycol reclaiming process to separate the salts and at least a portion of the hydrocarbons from the salt enriched stream to obtain a substantially salt-free water-glycol stream; and blending the salt reduced stream from the salt-enrichment process with the substantially salt-free stream to produce a reclaimed water-glycol stream

The present invention provides a process for recovering glycol from a process stream comprising glycol, water, dissolved salts, and hydrocarbons. The process comprises subjecting the process stream to a salt-enrichment process to obtain a salt-enriched stream having a salt concentration higher than salt concentration of the process stream, and a salt-reduced stream; subjecting the salt-enriched stream to a glycol reclaiming process to separate the salts and at least a portion of the hydrocarbons from the salt enriched stream to obtain a substantially salt-free water-glycol stream; and blending the salt reduced stream from the salt-enrichment process with the substantially salt-free stream to produce a reclaimed water-glycol stream

A process for the preparation of ethylene glycol comprising the steps of: a) supplying a first gas composition comprising ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide to an ethylene oxide absorber and allowing the gas composition to pass upwards through an absorption section; b) supplying a lean absorbent to the top of the absorption section and allowing the lean absorbent to pass downwards through the absorption section; c) intimately contacting the gas composition with lean absorbent on the trays in the absorption section in the presence of one or more catalysts to produce a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene glycol and ethylene carbonate; d) withdrawing fat absorbent from the absorber; and e) withdrawing a second gas composition from the top of the absorber.